Food supply chain and processing are essential activities for humans on our planet Earth. All our daily essential groceries reach the store near us and to our homes due to this highly organized industry. However essential the food supply chain is for our sustenance it has a heavy carbon footprint which is a major contributor to climate change. 

Another major concern of the food supply chain is post harvest wastage which adds to the direct losses. It is estimated that over 16-20% of food produced in India is wasted due to lack of post harvest technologies. We can only wish that more farm based, renewable energy driven food processing techniques are deployed to reduce the impact of this industry on our planet.  

One such small but significant step in the industry is dehydration of fresh fruit and vegetables on or near to the farms using solar dryers. Chikoo fruit processing using this technique in Dahanu Gholvad is proving to be of more worth not only to the planet but also to the complete value chain in many ways. 

Ruwan Foodtech LLP (owners of the brand Aura Green) based in Bordi, Dahanu are India’s largest producer of sun dried chikoo slices. They have over 200 acres of Chikoo farms which ensures the best quality fruit is used for processing. Further they have deployed India’s best solar dryers made by globally acclaimed S4S Technologies. The combination of quality raw material and modern farm based processing techniques ensures consistent output. Over the last 10 years they have processed more than 300 tons of Chikoo fruit which in its dry form is an easy to store, transport, consume & process.  

Now let’s see how this initiative is beneficial to all – 

1. Value to the farmers –

Creating value from fruit that ripens on farm and cannot be sent to the market

Processing fruit when market prices crash in peak season

Process efficient than other electrical dryers, spray dryers or freeze dryers

Additional source of income from micro entrepreneurship to farmers and women

2. Positive impact on climate change and carbon footprint

Zero carbon emission processing technique using modern solar dryers

80% reduction in weight compared to fresh/ frozen fruit, leads to 80% less carbon emissions in transportation

Elimination of refrigerated supply chain of frozen fruit, further reduction in carbon footprint

1 unit of electricity is saved per kg of dried chikoo processed using solar dryers

Carbon emissions from 0.8 ltr of diesel is reduced in transportation of 20 kgs of dried chikoo from Dahanu to Mumbai  

3. Easy for consumers to buy, store, carry & consume

Chikoo being a perishable fruit needs to be consumed in 1-2 days

Whereas Dry chikoo is easy to store, carry and consume which can be enjoyed any time

Solar drying in modern dryers keeps the nutrients intact

There is no added sugar, preservatives or any other chemicals added to dry chikoo

4. Easy for processing industry to make ice creams, milkshake, kulfi etc

Chikoo fruit is difficult to process in large quantities since the process is labor intensive.

Dry chikoo made by Aura Green is a ready to process ingredient. 

Can be directly used by HORECA industry for making high value products like

Ice cream, milk shakes, kulfi, mithai, energy bars etc.

5. Dry fruit category commodity for traders

Due to its perishable nature Chikoo cannot be exported to other countries, Chikoo needs to be peeled and frozen for export.

However sun dried chikoo can be exported without a refrigerated supply chain.

Traders get a non-perishable commodity which has a higher demand.

The value proposition from dehydration of Chikoo fruit using modern solar dryers is probably the highest any fruit has gained in India. It is beneficial for everyone in the value chain and more importantly to save our planet Earth from climate change.